The Trouble With Being a Duke Read Online Free Page A

him as if their eyelids had been pulled to the back of their heads. It was flattering, of course, in a peculiar sort of way, though Anthony could have done with less snickering on their part. He smiled back at them, complimented the ribbons they’d chosen for their hair and had promised them each a dance by the time they followed their parents to the ballroom.
    “It looks like a smashing success,” Casper Goodard, Anthony’s longtime friend, said as he came to stand across from Anthony after all the guests had arrived. There were so many that there was only room for the closest friends and family to stay at Kingsborough Hall. The rest would either journey home the same evening, depending on how far they had to travel, or remain at one of the other estates in the area as overnight guests.
    “Mama definitely put a lot of time and effort into outdoing all the previous balls she’s ever hosted.”
    “I take it this explains the carriage that’s shaped like a pumpkin?”
    Anthony nodded and tried not to smile too much. When his mother had told him that she had selected the theme of Cendrillon for her ball, he’d thought it a novel idea. He never would have imagined that she would go so far as to have a special carriage designed for the occasion. The vehicle (which had thankfully not been fastened to any horses) offered a place for people to sit while a sketch artist drew their portraits. “Did you happen to see the glass slipper?” Anthony asked as he nodded toward the refreshment table, where a dainty shoe stood fashioned in ice.
    Casper nodded. “She’s certainly invested herself in this affair, hasn’t she? It’s all rather practical, really, now that I think of it. Don’t young ladies adore fairy tales—all that romance with a prince and so forth?”
    Anthony smiled. “Are you suggesting that we use this to our advantage?”
    “You must admit that it’s a wonderful conversation starter.”
    “Certainly, but I have already promised to dance with five young ladies this evening, so I’m really not in need of any more female company. You know that I cannot flee the ballroom, but I am doing whatever I can to avoid eye contact with any more eager mamas.”
    Yes, he was hoping that making the acquaintance of some of the young ladies present might lead to an attachment, but that did not mean that he wished to exhaust himself by participating in each and every dance—especially when he wasn’t all that fond of dancing to begin with.
    “If that is the case, then I really must suggest that you try a little harder. Lady Snowdon has just cut across the entire ballroom with her daughter in tow—the one with the limp, not the other one. She’s bearing down on us as we speak.”
    “Lady Georgina?”
    “The very one,” Casper confirmed.
    Well in that case, there was nothing for it, Anthony decided. He would simply have to dance with one more lady, because there was no bloody way that he was going to turn down Lady Georgina. The poor woman had suffered enough rejections thanks to her mother. Really, Lady Snowdon ought to know better than to subject her daughter to the constant scrutiny of others. From what he knew of Lady Georgina, she was a lovely person, but the world was a cruel place with too many people looking to mock those they deemed inferior.
    Taking a deep breath, Anthony closed his eyes for a moment before turning around to face the ladies in question. They were approaching at quite an alarming speed—Lady Snowdon looking as though she would not hesitate to push aside anyone who happened to step in her way, while her daughter kept doing an awkward hop and slide in order to keep pace.
    “Your Grace,” Lady Snowdon gasped as she came to a halt before him. “I hope you will forgive us for being late, but we were forced to have one of our carriage wheels changed just as we were ready to set out.”
    “That’s quite all right, Lady Snowdon—I would have done the same had I found myself in your position.